PITTSBURG — Antioch’s police chief asked the Pittsburg school board Wednesday for a full investigation into the Nov. 10 anti-Donald Trump student protest that ended up in Antioch and turned unruly and, at times, dangerous.

“The actions that led up to this event were irresponsible,” Antioch police Chief Allan Cantando told the school board.

He expanded on his formal comments a short time later, and said Pittsburg High Principal Todd Whitmire was not only unhelpful in getting Pittsburg students on buses back to their school, but — according to other Antioch officers — took part in expletive-laden chants.

“I want the board to look into it, in its entirety,” Cantando said after his comments to the school board. “I think those actions send a very bad message.”

Three Pittsburg High students, ages 13, 15 and 17, were arrested Nov. 10 after some 200 students involved in an election-related walkout protest made their way to Antioch and created a disturbance, which allegedly included vandalism and the assault of a police officer. Antioch police said student protesters knocked over fences, overturned garbage cans and got into altercations with bystanders, police said.

Last week, Whitmire said he had planned to oversee a lunchtime rally that day on the Pittsburg High campus, but that 200 or so students opted instead to leave campus en masse, heading first to Black Diamond High School, and after that to Antioch High. Antioch police said the assembled students caused problems first at the Century Plaza shopping center and then in the neighborhoods near Antioch High.

Whitmire, who did not speak to the board Wednesday about Cantando’s comments, said he did not sanction or lead the roaming protest, and in fact implored students not to do it. But he went along to monitor it, and called Pittsburg police, who also tried to keep the protesters safe. Nine Pittsburg officers were assigned to monitor this incident, Chief Brian Addington said in a statement Thursday night. No Pittsburg officer saw Whitmire chanting or pumping his fists in the air, Addington said, and several reported Whitmire was “continually” telling students to return to campus and to stay out of the street.

Anthony Molina, the Pittsburg school district’s executive director of educational services, was along, too, and made similar observations about Whitmire’s actions.

The protest was not an agenda item Wednesday night, limiting board members’ responses. The board did some listening, however; Kip Stevens of Antioch told them students surrounded his car on 11th Street in Antioch, and that he feels “very alarmed and ashamed” for his high school.

“I understand kids want to protest, but do they really know what they’re protesting?” said Stevens, who called the incident scary and disconcerting.

Jennifer Mixon, of Discovery Bay, of the East Contra Costa Republican Women’s Federation, told the board this situation presents a great learning opportunity. “Bring back a civics class … teach them how to make their voices heard in a positive way.”

The Pittsburg High protest was one of many similar actions in the Bay Area following Trump’s election as president. At many high schools, protests remained on campus, but those at many others — including a walkout of students from Mt. Diablo High, Concord High and others schools — included trespassing and assaults. A Mountain View history teacher was temporarily placed on paid leave after drawing parallels between Trump and Adolf Hitler in a lesson plan; a Milpitas principal spent a few days on leave after saying “F— Donald Trump” at a Nov. 10 student protest.

Wednesday night, Whitmire again denied he took part in the protest or used profanities. He does regret he did not communicate better with Antioch police and officials, whom he praised for their response. He said he’s spent the week talking to involved students and their parents.

“I’m dismayed that (Cantando’s) description is the portrait that has emerged … and it is a reflection on us,” Whitmire said. “We don’t condone what happened, and the 3,200 students who stayed behind don’t condone it either.”

Sam Richards has been a newspaper reporter/editor since 1982, when he got his first job as a weekend police reporter in Missoula, Mont. He later worked in Belgrade, Mont. and Tracy, Calif. before joining in 1992 what became the Bay Area News Group. He works out of Walnut Creek, covering a variety of stories, with a focus on City Hall news.

Rep. Jerrold Nadler of New York, the top Democrat on the Judiciary Committee, said there was nothing wrong with the officials expressing “private political views via private text messages.” Strzok, in particular, “did not say anything about Donald Trump that the majority of Americans weren’t also thinking at the same time,” he said.